The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-08
RETRIBUTION.

GIG. "The wicked shall not go unpun-
ished." ''Be sure your sin will find you
out" "Murder will out" Though Cain
may have attempted to conceal his bloody
deed by burying the body of his murdered
brother in the ground, and by falsely deny
ing all knowledge of his whereabouts and de-
nying all responsibility for his safety, yet the
'voce of his brothers. blood crieth from the
ground" and the voice of GoD speaks to his
guilty soul, and he can have no peace or rest.
The voice of GoD may be the movements of
conscience. 1t first warned him of his dan
ger and afterward announced his condemna-
ton of guilt. The earth which received his
brothers dead body and opened her mouth
to receive his blood, appeared to avenge the
murder. 1t did not yield unto him her fruits,
not because the seed which he planted would
not grow or yield a harvest, but because he
became go restless and unsettled that he
would not remain to cultivate the fields or
gather their harvests. He became fugitive
and vagabond, homeless wanderer, ban
ished from Eden, where he had kept his focks
and where was the presence of JEHOVAH.
the face of Him who had refused to look
upon the offerings which he had brought.
The feeling of his guilt became an intoera-
BILE burden to him. He falls into state of
utter despair, fearing that everyone who
meets him will slay him. The language i'm
plies other persons than those of whom we
have an account. Though Adam might not
at this time have had many descendants, yet,
according to verse II and chapter v. 4, he
haI h.
sooner or later avenge Abel's death. His
state of despair and fear and consequent ex-
lie from Eden may not have taken place i'm
medately after Cain had slain his brother.
By what sign or token Cain was assured that
no one should STAY him is not revealed. The
account may be interpreted as the Divine
disapproval of capital punishment by print
tive man at least. Seven fold, that is, full
and certain punishment should be inflicted
on the slayer of Cain. "'Vengeance is Mine;
I will repay saith JEH ovAH." 1t is not for
ignorant, passionate, selfish man to measure
the guilt of his fellow, and administer the
sanctions of Divine law. Whatever we may
be obliged to do in self defense or for the
protection of society, COP alone can mete
out the due recompense of sin, and He alone
suitably mingles mercy with judgment. Man
may by his judgments protect society from
the evil deeds of the sinful and especially
seek to discipline and reform such as the
surest and best protection. Is the taking
of the life of the evil doer among the meth
DDS that may be rightfully employed for the
protection of society or the reformation of
the criminal GLASSES?
Our Lesson closes with the statement that
Cain went out from the presence of JEHOVAH
and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of
Eden. To go out from the presence of JEHo-
YAH may mean the aban Comment of the
sanctuary, the place of His presence, and of
the worship of COP. He became a wanderer,
and the country where he dwelt is called Nod,
the land of flight and Punishment. His de-
scendants founded city and cultivated the
mechanic arts III, 22), Influenced, no doubt,
by the circumstance that their ancestors
wandering life was unfavorable to agriculture
and husbandry.